Lighting fixture



June 22, 1965 R. a BERRY EI'AL 3,191,021

LIMITING FIXTURE Filed May 21, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvsm'ons: I MARION c. snow. RICHARD c. BERRY,

THEIR ATTORNEY.

J1me 1965 R. c. BERRY ETAL LIGHTING FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1962 FIG.3.

III/II Y :W SNH wa m EMU IR RA l Mm R HNNAU THEIR ATTORNEY.

n B Q W I 1 I O 2 United States Patent 3,191,021 LIGHTING FIXTURE Richard C. Berry, Camillus, and Marion C. Snow, Cazenovia, N.Y., assignors to Grouse-Hinds Company, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 21, 1962, Ser. No. 196,075 4 Claims. (Cl. 240--11.2)

This invention relates to and has as an object a new and improved lighting fixture.

More specifically, this invention has as an object an improved design for assembling a multiple piece, vapor tight, lighting fixture, whereby the lighting fixture may be assembled with a globe and a guard, or with either the globe, or guard separately.

Prior to this time such fixtures were designed so that the globe could not be used without the guardthat is to say the guard functioned to retain the globe in the assembly. This oftentimes rendered the unit uneconomical for in certain installations there was no necessity for the guard, as there was no likelihood of mechanical injury to the globe. Further, these prior arrangements had the disadvantage that the manufacturer of the unit had to package and ship all three partsthat is, the fixture housing, the globe, and the guard, regardless of the needs of the customer.

The fixture, which is the subject of this invention, however, eliminates these problems, and permits the assembly and sale of lighting units, either with a globe alone, or with the guard alone, or with both the globe and guard.

Briefly described, the invention comprises a housing formed with a flange, or the like, adapted to receive the globe and guard, wherein the globe and guard are formed with a plurality of spaced apart arcuate segments having means formed thereon, which cooperate with means formed on the flange of the housing, to attach the globe and guard to the housing. The arcuate segments on the globe and guard are alternately positioned on each part whereby they mate in complemental fashion when both are assembled to the housing.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view with parts broken away and parts in section, of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the parts which are shown in the assembled condition in FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale, showing a portion of the assembly.

In FIGURE 1, the fixture comprises a bell-shaped housing formed at its upper end with a hub 12, suitably formed for attachment to rigid conduit 14, in which the electrical conductors for supplying power to the unit are carried. For purposes of clarity, the lamp, and lamp socket portions of the fixture have been omitted.

The housing 10 terminates at its lower portion in an outwardly extending annular lip portion 16, which in turn terminates in a downwardly extending annular flange 18. The flange 18, as best seen in FIGURE 2, is formed on its interior surface with means cooperable with means formed on the globe and guard to affix the globe and guard thereto. As shown in the drawings, this cooperable means is of the cylindrically operating type and the preferred form comprises screw threads 20, but it is to be understood that any other suitable cooperable means,

such as a bayonet joint arrangement, for example, could be utilized.

The globe 22 is aflixed to the housing 10 in a manner to be hereinafter described, and may be formed of any suitable light transmitting material, such as glass, or the like. The globe 22 is surrounded by a protective guard 24 of the conventional type, including a plurality of interconnected legs, or spiders 26, and the guard 24 is also assembled to the housing 10 in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Referring'now to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that the globe 22 is formed adjacent its upper end with an external annular bead 28. The bead 28 is spaced axially from a pair of arcuate threaded segments 30 and 32, formed on the exterior of the globe 22, and the globe terminates in an upper flat annular surface 34. The threaded segments are shown to be two in number, but may comprise any suitable number, and as shown in the drawings, the segments are formed with the thread 20 having the same characteristics as the thread 20 on housing flange 18, and generated in a continuous helix, the thread being interrupted where there is an absence of material so as to form the threaded segments 30 and 32. As shown in FIGURE 2, the globe 22 is formed with sufiicient material at its top so as to permit the formation of at least one continuous thread 35. Similarly, the upper end of the guard 24 is formed with a pair of external threaded segments 36 and 38, which are positioned complemental to the void spaces between the threaded segments 30 and 32 formed on the globe 22. Also the threaded segment 38 has a greater are than does the threaded segment 36, as do the void spaces between the threaded segments 30 and 32 on the globe 22, in order to polarize the globe and guard with respect to each other, so as to insure the proper assembly of the two, in order to provide a continuous external threadfor assembly to the housing. It is to be understood that any other suitable polarizing arrangement for preventing improper assembly of the globe and guard, and the consequent cross-threading attendant thereto may be utilized.

As will now be obvious, either the globe 22, or the guard 24 may be assembled to the housing 10 by virtue of the fact that the segments 30 and 32 on the globe are matingly threaded to the threads 20 formed on the flange 18 of the housing, as are the threads or segments 36 and 38 of the guard 24.

If it is desired to provide the housing 10 with both the globe and the guard, the two are assembled together in the polarized fashion, as above set forth, and both are then attached to the threaded flange 18 in the conventional manner. In this case, a pair of spacer detent clips 40 and 42 are utilized to removably affix the globe and guard together.

As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the guard 24 is provided with a pair of offset detent receiving portions 44 and the detents 40, which are generally U-shaped in cross section are received on the portions of the guard. The detents are provided with a radially inwardly extending bead 46, which deflects radially a sufficient amount when the globe 22 is inserted in the guard 24, so as to allow the head 28 on the globe 22 to pass under the detent. This arrangement functions to releasably afiix the globe and guard together, and, as will also be seen in FIG- URE 1, the bight portion of the detent 40 serves to space the globe and guard apart, and to serve as a cushion there between.

An annular gasket 50 may be provided between the upper surface 34 of the globe and the surface 52 formed on the underside of the lip 16 of the housing 10, in order to seal the globe 22 to the housing 10 in a vapor tight fashion.

As will now be obvious, either the globe, or the guard or a combination of both may be assembled to the housing 10, thus providing a multiple piece lighting fixture, which is both economical to manufacture, and flexible in use.

What we claim is: V p 1. A lighting fixture-comprising? (A) a housing, A v g (B) a retaining'flange formed on said housing, I (C) a globe adapted to be removably afiixed to said flange on said housing, v V (D) a guard adapted to be'removably flange on said housing, 7 a (E) means on said globe and guard including at least one arcuate segment on each of said globe and guard, and p (F) cooperable attachment means on said segments and with said flange to removably aflix said globe and guard to said housing, said arcuate segments onsaid globe and guard being complementally positioned so as to permit simultaneous and separate at-. tachment of said globe and guard to said housing.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein (A) said globe and guard are provided with polarizing ment to said housing. 1

3. A lighting fixture comprising a housing adapted to receive illumination means, said housing having a cylindrical opening formed with'a plurality of continuous internal threads, a globe formed at. its upper end with external threads complemental with the threads in said opening, a guard encircling said globe and formed at its upper end with external threads complemental to the threads in said opening and on said globe, and said globe and guard having interlocking means to prevent relative rotation between the globe and guard.

4. A lighting fixture comprising a housing adapted to receive illumination means, said housing having a cylin drical opening formed wth a plurality of continuous internal threads, a globe formed at its upper end with external threads complemental to the threads insaid opening, there being at least one continuous thread at the upper end of the globe, the remaining threads on said globe being interrupted in at least two areas, a guard formed at its upper end with externally threaded segments positioned in the spaces between the interrupted threads on said globe, the threads on said guard being complemental to the threads on said globe vand in said 1/14 Foard 240-1'52 1,476,036 12/23 Benjamin 24054 1,642,646 9/27 Chase 240-102.1 X 2,094,394 9/37 BiSSell 240--11.2 2,310,456 2/43 Nerlich 240-102 X NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

3. A LIGHTING FIXTURE COMPRISING A HOUSING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE ILLUMINATION MEANS, SAID HOUSING HAVING A CYLINDRICAL OPENING FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF CONTINUOUS INTERNAL THREADS, A GLOBE FORMED AT ITS UPPER END WITH EXTERNAL THREADS COMPLEMENTAL WITH THE THREADS IN SAID OPENING, A GUARD ENCIRCLING SAID GLOBE AND FORMED AT ITS UPPER END WITH EXTERNAL THREADS COMPLEMENTAL TO THE THREADS IN SAID OPENING AND ON SAID GLOBE, AND SAID GLOBE AND GUARD HAVING INTERLOCKING MEANS TO PREVENT RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN THE GLOBE AND GUARD. 